Tailpiece for musical instruments



(No Model.)

J. MURDOOK, Jr, TAILPIEGE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

No. 558,699. r Patented Apr. 21, 1896.

W' 1 m g w @W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MURDOCK, JR., OF CINCINNATI, OHIO.

TAILPIECE FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,699, dated April21, 1896.

Application filed September 12, 1895. Serial No. 562,235. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES MURDOCK, J11, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tailpieoesfor Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tailpieces for stringed musical instruments. Itsobject is to provide a neat-appearing economical tailpiece for violins,guitars, mandolins, and similar stringed musical instruments, by whichthe strings may be readilyplaced and securely held without injury to theknotted ends.

To this end my invention consists in forming the tailpiece from sheetmetal, shaped and formed as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, inconnection with which the invention will be first fully described, andthen particularly referred to and pointed out in the claims.

The drawings represent a guitar and a mandolin tailpiece formed of lightsheet metal, preferably aluminium, of which metal my tailpiece may bereadily and cheaply formed, without soldered joints.

Figure 1 is a plan view of the blank from which the tailpiece of theguitar is formed; Fig. 2, a side elevation of the piece after it hasbeen bent or folded to its finished form. Fig. 3 is a plan or topelevation of the finished piece. Fig. 4 is an end elevation, looking infront of the head and toward the rear end of the tailpiece. Fig. 5 is aninverted plan view of the head end of the piece; Fig. 6, a longitudinalsection, taken through line 1 1 of Fig. 3, showing one string in place.Fig. 7 is a detailed view similar to Fig. 4:, but with the strings inplace. Fig. 8 is a top or plan elevation of the head end of a mandolintailpiece. Fig. 9 is a front end elevation of the same.

The blank, Fig. 1, is stamped out to the form shown from sheet metal,preferably aluminium, but any other suitable metal may be employed. Theshank portion A and the rear part a, back of the dotted line a: a", ofFig. 1, may be formed or shaped in any suitable design. The head orforward end A of the blank has projecting tenons or lugs a, formed bynotching the front edge of the plate, and directly back of these tonguesare perforations a through which the tongues pass when folded around toform the stringholding roll. The ends of the tenons which pass throughthe perforations are turned around over the inner face of thescroll-head, as clearly seen in Figs. 2, 4, 5, 7, and 9. Between theperforations a and tongues a in the head or scroll A are formedstring-openings a The string is inserted by passing the knotted endthrough the perforations a drawing the knot under the notches, passingthe string over the top of the head A, down through the perforations aand drawing it forward over the tongues a, as clearly seen in Figs. 6and 7. It will be seen that the smooth scroll portion of the head takesup the strain of the string and prevents the edge of the notches fromcutting the knotted end of the strings, and any string may be removed orreplaced without disturbing the others.

For a mandolin-head, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9, two notches branch fromthe opening a to pass the strings, and it is obvious that the number ofstring-openings and the mannor of forming the rear part a may be variedto suit the different kinds of instruments in which tailpieces areemployed. Such changes will readily occur to the skilled mechanicwithout any detailed description.

It would be but an inferior modification of my invention to omit thetenons a and fold the plain edge of the roll A down on top of the platein line with the perforations a In either case the strain of the stringstends to hold the scroll-head firmly and prevents its spreading, thusobviating all necessity for soldering or otherwise securing the edge ofthe scroll after it has been turned to the desired form.

IrVhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The hereinbefore-described blank for forming tailpieces for musicalinstruments, stamped from sheet metal to the form shown, having a seriesof perforations to pass the strings, a series of perforations in frontof them to receive the knotted ends of the strings,

IOO

strument after passing partially around the tube.

In a tailpiece for musical instruments, the head, A, havingperforations, a a and tenons, a, said tenons passing through theperforations, a and folding under the tubular portion of the said head,substantially as sho\ n and described.

JAMES MURDOCK, JR.

Vitnesses:

HOWARD II. RALSTON, GEO. J. l\IURRAY.

